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life after sciarc

spicy tuna bowl

so.. im currently in the march1 prog @sciarc and I've loved it so far~ and so far almost all people i've talked to have been able to find jobs and internships pretty easily... but after reading a couple negative posts about sciarc from this website~ it makes me curious...

i'd like to hear from sciarc alums out there... or any others who have worked with sciarc alum ...

how is post sciarc life? finding a good job (to pay off all the debt)... working...

or for ppl who worked with sciarc alums...
do you see a big difference in design performance?

(i'm totally happy at sciarc, and i already know its more on the theorethical side but ive already worked in the field for year (in conservative Virginia and some in LA) and already know that I'll get enough of cd's and codes and that i wont need to take 10 classes on them, but just curious to see if it REALLY makes that much of a difference graduating from sciarc or somewhere else)

 
Oct 12, 06 5:20 pm
gruen

I'm pretty sure that there is no life after sci-arc, or any other grad program for that matter. Our scientists here at gruen industries have been searching for such life forms for many years now, and like the SETI project, have received nary a ping.

Oct 12, 06 5:37 pm  · 
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starrchitect

Is raimund abraham still at sci-arc?

Oct 12, 06 5:38 pm  · 
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there are a lot of burger flippers at the in-n-out that mumble about eric owen moss under their breath, in between f*** and sh**, etc

Oct 12, 06 5:45 pm  · 
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futureboy

hmm... life after sciarc. what can i say but its a trip.
as with any grad school there are those that will go off to work at starchitect firms that they studied under....there are those that will go off and work for a developer....there are those that will go off and start up their own firm....and there are those that will go off and just teach....etc.
the difference that i think sciarc makes is that it opens its students up to so many other ways of looking at architecture that people tend to end up in dead end positions less (what do i mean by this...)
let's face it, architecture as a profession can really suck. you can do total crap. and it's really only crap if you aren't jazzed about it in some way...and i think that's what sciarc does....it helps you get totally jazzed and rock out on some of the crap in the profession. or you go out and get totally jazzed and rock out to the crap of some other profession like graphic design or real estate development or construction. i guess what i'm saying is it doesn't just prepare you be a grunt that takes instructions, but instead prepares you to take on something with enthusiasm and in the end lead. can you do that after most other schools out there, sure...but there's less chance of it or you are exposed to fewer other ideas of what the profession can be so you might not take the chances.
what i've done.....well, i got out from the MRD program was all jazzed on research. did some independent research projects on cities, did a futurescape animation on leisure, and started teaching (all while working at a corporate design office and paying off my student loans), then started up a company with a few other people and am now doing research and development on a mass-customizable factory manufactured building system.
and some people might sit around and bitch and complain about what i'm doing right now...because it's closer to industrial design in some ways...but i can see the big picture and the beauty of it and get jazzed about it...and therefore it becomes incredibly satisfying.
i have friends that have followed different routes afterward, but i think they all hit their jobs with an enthusiam that sets them apart...
i guess that my 5 or 6 cents

Oct 12, 06 5:53 pm  · 
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binary

can always be a street pharmacist or an owner for an intercourse consulting street team

Oct 12, 06 6:23 pm  · 
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Marlin

as per the blog, it's known i went to SCIArc for undergrad. I have / had no trouble finding decent work afterwards. However, I left so often during my undergrad in order to work for lengthy periods of time that attending SCIArc only seems like a mere footnote on my resume.

Like everyone else, i cross paths with idiots from every program. do a discussion thread search for YALE BLOWS. it'll make you feel better.

However, i stress again that employers/clients default to my experience over my degree.

Oct 12, 06 10:44 pm  · 
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Katze

Being a burger flipper at the in-n-out is better than being a burger flipper at BK!!! Ah, I love in-n-out – yummm… Pretty funny SW…

Oct 12, 06 10:58 pm  · 
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Marlin

steve: i usually expect better from your commentary.

Oct 12, 06 11:05 pm  · 
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FOG Lite

Or you can go over to Jerde and hear people mumble about eric owen moss under their breath, in between f*** and sh**

I think they actually might make more than that fabled In-N-Out managers salary.

Oct 12, 06 11:22 pm  · 
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grid

FOG - your Jerde reference made me laugh.

I guess you can replace the water color expert over there... or improve on his animated watercolors.

Oct 12, 06 11:49 pm  · 
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Katze

I, on the other hand found Mr. Ward's posting refreshing; uncharacteristic, yes, but everyone's gottta lighten up every once and a while.

Oct 13, 06 12:11 am  · 
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Marlin

indeed, lighting up would be refreshing, but not in a thread where someone is concerned about the state of their education, and a normally lighthearted poster responds with commentary like stevn ward's paltry declaration. Wrong place wrong timing.

however, Katze, to some degree you are right: these threads asking for opinions on education are getting tired, and end up devolving into shit talk sessions not unlike the notorious and aforementioned "Yale Blows," or "Yale vs. Columbia," or "columbia vs. Your mom" threads.

So, in the spirit of Steven Ward and Katze, i offer the following:

Get over it Spicy Tuna! Suck it up and study hard. Otherwise you'll live up to the shit talk and have nothing to offer anyone. I wouldn't hire a crybaby, so don't be one. Threads like this add to the drivel of baseless hate attributed to SCIArc.

Get over your insecurity now. You have a brain in your head that isn't defined by the state of your education, but rather by the balls in your pants. Shut up with your worry and go study some R values, you sackless child.

Oct 13, 06 12:50 am  · 
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sorry marlin. forgot to take my medication.

Oct 13, 06 12:54 am  · 
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Marlin

i didn't, steven.

i meant what i said, though i appreciate the apology. Sorry to make this about you when it has everything to do with the legacy/connections-subscribing baby that began this thread.

Oct 13, 06 12:56 am  · 
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spicy tuna bowl

hmm marlin~ i think you've taken my post out of context~ i'm not complaining and i work my pretty little ass off~ and enjoy doing it, because i love design~

... if you remember what i posted i sad i was CURIOUS to know what sciarc alum do after they graduate and whether they do well or not~ its not a "im-thinking-about-quitting-because-i-have-doubts-about-my-school"~

i kinda questioning why people have so much shit to say about sciarc... thats all...

and... i think you should calm down putting labels on people from one post that you didnt read very well~ i wish you said it to my face~ bitch! hahahaha... j/k~ sorry... just had to say that... b/c internet messege boards are retarded at times... i bet you wouldnt have said those things if we had reall conversation in person~

and to futureboy~ thanks for the 6cents...

Oct 13, 06 2:18 am  · 
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pourstone

alright so back to the discussion now. Ever since I finished sciarc (with kulper's studio being the last one, and his as well), it took me about 5 months to find a job, albeit having previously worked for a starchitect in NYC. I suppose it took me a while because I limited my choices to the city I wanted to live in: San Francisco. It's not a hotbed for architecture like, say LA or NYC. The industry is a bit more sedate here, perhaps it's because of all the beautiful landscapes that could be too distracting; too romantic even. Secondly, I don't think anyone really got the point of my work from Kulper studio. Thirdly, a word of advice to those with theoretical works or art instead of plain architectural sections, don't send samples of your work along with your resume!!! I would actually get interviews after sending my resume; but when i sent samples along with the resume, my telephone sat there... silent. Those "architects" just "didn't get it."

So after the numerous attempts of landing a 9-5, and really, only for financial reasons, I was finally offered into a firm that does conventional work for the ridiculously weathly. All I do is construction documents, and I expected that; in fact I told my principal to not pigeon hole me in doing FormZ; the firms I've worked for in the past exploited my formZ skills and I felt that it was brainless work better suited for a media arts professional.

And how disenchanted I have become over the months of doing constant updates to design changes. I cannot look at another door detail. I yearned so much for any kind of stimulation that I actually went to Hernan's private tour of his exhibition in SFMOMA. I've never bought into his architecture rhetoric and I never will; at least I got a ticket to see the rest of SFMOMA.. Matthew Barney's exhibition was brilliant. I also made my way down a few weeks ago to see sciarc's summer thesis final review; that wasn't stimulating, as most projects seemed good enough for a hardtech final project. Then I found Tate, and had quite a conversation with that guy.

Perhaps Umbau next fall?

Oct 13, 06 2:31 am  · 
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Marlin

i would say it to your face. Ask your professors what a cruel intolerant loudmouth i am. SCIArc professors past and present love and hate me for my mouth.

your questions express an uncertainty that should be displaced by a confidencence in your own faculties. Judging by your above post, you may have those confidences and faculties, but be mindful that others' expression of similar uncertainties are what led to the discussion threads you cited as being the reasons you felt unsure about SCIArc's capacity to land you a job.

If i called you a crybaby, it's because you came here, to the fountain of anonymity, to seek reassurance in the quality of your education. Only you can make you you. Past experinces with these threads should have lead you to the conclusion that discussions like this only open the floodgates to anonymous witticisms like Ward's above comment, as opposed to overwhelmingly helpful advice.

I'm done. These threads on SCIArc bore me and every other SCIArc graduate.

Oct 13, 06 2:38 am  · 
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spicy tuna bowl

poor stoned~ nice name~ you definitely came from sciarc... my name describes my diet (provided by the local mitsuwa)...

thanks for posting... its soo weird... you met tate~ he's my undergrad prof from jmu~in va.. its actually b/c of him that i came to sciarc~ he told me that i had to come b/c it was the school that matched me...

he was right~ i was upset though when he opened his school the year after i got into sciarc... but he still said it was the school for me... he's a great mentor and person~ one of those teachers that really influence (maybe changes) your life.

I told him that i might jump into umbau a little later...
anyhow... small world...

Oct 13, 06 2:42 am  · 
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spicy tuna bowl

well marlin.. if you are still reading... i love how you give the reasons why I (who makes myself me) posted this post... if i wanted reassurances i would call my mom instead of posting on website where architects connect~

i posted b/c i wanted get responses to my questions~ you definitely went to sciarc b/c you question the questioner and the questions and make assumptions~ well.. i guess thats why they did love you... gave a good fight to watch~ you need to lighten up... i thought the ward dude's comment was funny~ its inevitable that i'll get jackass responses but i'm getting good ones too...

anyhow.. i think you're acting like a little bitch making assumptions~ just like me... ;)

Oct 13, 06 2:52 am  · 
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Marlin

(there's an irony to being a cruel loudmouth intolerant of bullshit. I give my subs beer on friday and nitpick accounting books: I get pigeonholed with CM, when rendering and graphics would be a lot more fun. The grass is always greener...)

Oct 13, 06 2:53 am  · 
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Marlin

...i know why you posted, just be mindful of the unhelpful results, and similarly the floodgate of diahrea commentary, just like every other thread on SCIArc.

Oct 13, 06 2:58 am  · 
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Marlin

...it doesn't help your cause to say you'd call your mom.

Oct 13, 06 3:01 am  · 
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Katze

Dude's chill – sarcasm is expected on archinect, no doubt. I agree with Marlin that it is what you make of it – I live by this rule. You can attend the most awesome school or attend a mediocre school (and by the way I have no opinion one way or another about SCIArc) and you can do exceptionally well or suck at what you do. The bottom line is to apply yourself to what ever program you are in, kick some ass, and stop worrying about what others think.

Oct 13, 06 3:12 am  · 
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Marlin

(i emailed Spicy an olive branch)

Oct 13, 06 3:19 am  · 
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Marlin

(read: pigeonholed with CA.)

Oct 13, 06 3:37 am  · 
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spicy tuna bowl

sorry for all the negativeness and cursing... i had just finished building a maze in the parking lot with a classmate who was high~ and he really was pissing me off... it didnt help to see responses that i was a cry baby... you think whatever.. if i wasnt in such a crappy mood... i wouldnt have cared...

sorry for ventting on you~ and i love my mom~ she's a wise person... but whatever... we believe in what we want~ freedom of choice right?

thanks for responses tho~

Oct 13, 06 2:54 pm  · 
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Chili Davis

For some reason, "spicy tuna bowl" keeps deriving a sexual connotation in my mind. Then again, maybe I'm just a perv.

Oct 13, 06 2:57 pm  · 
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treekiller

so does 'chili davis'... or maybe we're all just pervs?

Oct 13, 06 3:08 pm  · 
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Marlin

indeed. On the heels of dealing with an unruly and stoned partner, you probably didn't deserve to be called a crybaby. The canned rebuttal to this is that "architecture is a collaborative effort." But in the professional world, we hope we can pick and choose the guy without condensed pupils. It's harvest season though, so chnaces are your partner couldnt resist.

Much of my tirade can be read as commentary directed at the likes of your partner. I can't apologize for it, because i still believe it. However, certainly it should be understood that it is cruelty directed, again, at the likes of your partner and not the you.

moms are dope.

Oct 13, 06 3:08 pm  · 
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archasm

i went to sciarc, got my m.arch, and have been working and decently paid ever since. there is a lot sciarc doesn't teach you, but the trade off of learning what only sciarc can teach you is worth it.

Oct 13, 06 5:13 pm  · 
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AP

some people excel when pupils are condensed.

Oct 13, 06 5:17 pm  · 
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strlt_typ

i prefered condensating my pupils after reviews...

Oct 13, 06 5:23 pm  · 
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difficultfix

Hey Spicy tuna, I think you are asking the wrong question....

You should be asking yourself " How was your life Before Sciarc?"

Oct 13, 06 10:47 pm  · 
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spicy tuna bowl

good point~ i like your perspective~

but it is interesting to hear what people have been doing after sciarc~
....current mode~ good... extra beer at fri @ 5's hahha...

Oct 14, 06 12:02 am  · 
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BE

I really enjoy the 'look' from those in the know whenever I am asked the question of where I went for my undergraduate. Compared to the students I am teaching now, it was quite a different experience. But there was an awful lot that was missing from a sciarc education compared to that of a bigger university. On the other hand, you have people who live in the larger world and they will allude to USC and so on when you tell them 'southern california...". Anyway, it doesn't matter in the long run. I know of sciarc alums and all are decently paid and getting on with their lives. Some have even made a name for themselves. A one liner for activites after sciarc: realization of a very unique education (pre or post grad) and realization that you probably need to be an autodidact, and well equipped by SCI-Arc if you were a serious student in the first place.

Oct 14, 06 2:54 am  · 
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